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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Scottish unemployment falls by 4,000 | Scottish unemployment falls by 4,000 |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Unemployment in Scotland fell by 4,000 to 200,000 between November and January, according to the latest official statistics. | Unemployment in Scotland fell by 4,000 to 200,000 between November and January, according to the latest official statistics. |
| The fall contrasted with a rise of 7,000 for the UK as a whole. | The fall contrasted with a rise of 7,000 for the UK as a whole. |
| The Scottish unemployment rate is now 7.4%, which is below the UK figure of 7.8%. | The Scottish unemployment rate is now 7.4%, which is below the UK figure of 7.8%. |
| Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also showed that employment rose in Scotland by 19,000 over the three-month period. | Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also showed that employment rose in Scotland by 19,000 over the three-month period. |
| The number of people in jobs now stands at 2,483,000. | The number of people in jobs now stands at 2,483,000. |
| There was a rise of 300 in the number claiming Job Seeker's Allowance between January and February. | |
| That total now stand at 137,700, which is down by 5,200 on a year ago. | |
| The youth unemployment rate fell to 17% in Scotland compared to 20.6% for the UK as a whole. | |
| 'Welcome improvement' | |
| Finance Secretary John Swinney described the figures as a "welcome improvement" in the labour market in Scotland. | |
| He said: "Our headline unemployment rate is now at its lowest level for over three years. | |
| "Employment is on the increase and our employment rate is the fifth joint highest of the UK nations and regions. | |
| "Scotland now has a lower headline unemployment rate and higher youth employment rate than the UK as a whole." | |
| Scottish Secretary Michael Moore said the rise in Scottish employment was "good news". | |
| "This government will continue to ensure helping people into sustainable, long-term opportunities is a priority," he said. | "This government will continue to ensure helping people into sustainable, long-term opportunities is a priority," he said. |
| "We are determined to rebalance our economy and create stability, which is the key to creating jobs across Scotland in future. | "We are determined to rebalance our economy and create stability, which is the key to creating jobs across Scotland in future. |
| "The policies we have put in place are geared towards growth." | "The policies we have put in place are geared towards growth." |
| Female unemployment | |
| Scottish Labour finance spokesman Ken Macintosh welcomed the increase in employment but said "the big story" behind the figures was the increasing number of Scottish women registered as economically inactive. | |
| "Female unemployment is heading in the wrong direction, a trend compounded by the SNP's decision to cut college places for adults which disproportionately affects women trying to get back into work," he added. | |
| Jobs website totaljobs.com said the labour market in Scotland had continued to improve, but at a marginal rate. | Jobs website totaljobs.com said the labour market in Scotland had continued to improve, but at a marginal rate. |
| Regional manager Steve Clark added: "The recent SNP budget did not do enough to return unemployment back to pre-recession levels, with a large proportion of Scots still out of work. | Regional manager Steve Clark added: "The recent SNP budget did not do enough to return unemployment back to pre-recession levels, with a large proportion of Scots still out of work. |
| "What little job creation there has been over the last few months has largely been based on government training schemes, part-time work and self-employment." | "What little job creation there has been over the last few months has largely been based on government training schemes, part-time work and self-employment." |
| 'Better news' | |
| Scottish Trades Union Congress general secretary Grahame Smith said the statistics represented "better news than recent months". | |
| He added: "However, before anyone gets too carried away some points have to be stressed: the fall in unemployment and rise in employment was driven entirely by men moving into jobs; women's unemployment actually increased and employment fell. | |
| "Also given the lag in Scottish data, there is no way of assessing the quality of employment created in the last quarter." |